When they unveiled the Eames Lounge Chair in 1956, Charles and Ray Eames described their new design as being “comfortable and un-designy”. Despite that, this Eames chair has gone on to become an icon of the Modern movement, appearing in films and television series as diverse as “Tron: Legacy”, “Frasier” and “Doctor Who”. It has also inspired a wide range of replicas, some of which have even been hailed as better than the original.
You may not know it, but, trust me, you've seen an Eames Lounge Chair. OK, OK, I’m no mind reader, but the Eames Lounge Chair is an icon of modern American design. First launched in 1956 as the Eames Lounge (670) and Ottoman (671) (the latter is the footstool that accompanies it), the chair’s co-designer Charles Eames said he wanted it to “resemble the warmth, familiarity and comfort of a well worn baseball mitt”. It’s that discrete, familiar comfort that made this most of famous Eames chair (for Charles and his wife Ray designed many) an icon of the Modern movement and as ubiquitous a piece of unshowy but stylish design as a Vettriano painting.
It’s also why I knowyou’ve seen one. Even if you don’t think you have. Dr Cox had one in his apartment in "Scrubs". Donald Draper and Dr Gregory House both have them in their offices. There was even a snazzy all white one in "Tron: Legacy". It’s hard to describe the piece without pictures, but I’ll try. The Eames Lounge Chair almost resembles a bucket seat in design. Its back, arms and seat are joined together sequentially, screwed together by aluminium supports. The whole thing is fitted at a backwards angle to its swivel base, elevating the sitter’s legs and giving them little option but to relax their weight backwards into the seat. The raising of the sitter's legs makes the accompanying footstool (the one we mentioned earlier, remember?) near essential and the whole thing almost ridiculously comfortable.
There's a reason the Eames chair has made so many appearances on film and television. You can't seperate the reasons for the Eames Lounge Chair's versatility and its many appearances in popular culture. Its first public appearance came in 1956, when it was featured on the “Home” show, NBC’s hugely popular daytime magazine programme fronted by actress and game show panellist Arlene Francis and a huge advertising campaign followed immediately. The campaign - which showed the Eames chair in a variety of unlikely locales including a hay field, a Victorian parlour and on the front porch of a house straight out of the America Gothic - focused on the Eames chair’s versatility. It’s that same versatility which explains its continuous place in popular culture - and, in particular, the American popular imagination. The Eames Lounge Chair is comfortable yet smart, stylish yet understated. That’s why it can sit as easily in Frasier’s luxurious Seattle apartment as it can in the TARDIS.
The Eames Lounge Chair has been in continuous production ever since. In America, Herman Miller have continued to turn out units since its premier in 1956, while Vitra have continued to produce it for the American market. It has also inspired replicas, imitations and knock offs of varying quality - particularly in the European market, where “originals” are far more expensive. Some of these are dire to say the least. Spray painted cushions, exposed screws and poor quality materials are amongst the complaints that have come from those who bought cheap, fast buck knock offs. On the other hand, some replica Eames chairs have been hailed as even better than the originals, offering increased versatility and the option to customise the colours of your purchase to fit your tastes and the design of your home or office.
For over 50 years, the Eames Lounge Chair has represented discrete style. Now you’ve come to understand why it’s so popular, maybe it’s time you started paying it a bit more attention.
You may not know it, but, trust me, you've seen an Eames Lounge Chair. OK, OK, I’m no mind reader, but the Eames Lounge Chair is an icon of modern American design. First launched in 1956 as the Eames Lounge (670) and Ottoman (671) (the latter is the footstool that accompanies it), the chair’s co-designer Charles Eames said he wanted it to “resemble the warmth, familiarity and comfort of a well worn baseball mitt”. It’s that discrete, familiar comfort that made this most of famous Eames chair (for Charles and his wife Ray designed many) an icon of the Modern movement and as ubiquitous a piece of unshowy but stylish design as a Vettriano painting.
It’s also why I knowyou’ve seen one. Even if you don’t think you have. Dr Cox had one in his apartment in "Scrubs". Donald Draper and Dr Gregory House both have them in their offices. There was even a snazzy all white one in "Tron: Legacy". It’s hard to describe the piece without pictures, but I’ll try. The Eames Lounge Chair almost resembles a bucket seat in design. Its back, arms and seat are joined together sequentially, screwed together by aluminium supports. The whole thing is fitted at a backwards angle to its swivel base, elevating the sitter’s legs and giving them little option but to relax their weight backwards into the seat. The raising of the sitter's legs makes the accompanying footstool (the one we mentioned earlier, remember?) near essential and the whole thing almost ridiculously comfortable.
There's a reason the Eames chair has made so many appearances on film and television. You can't seperate the reasons for the Eames Lounge Chair's versatility and its many appearances in popular culture. Its first public appearance came in 1956, when it was featured on the “Home” show, NBC’s hugely popular daytime magazine programme fronted by actress and game show panellist Arlene Francis and a huge advertising campaign followed immediately. The campaign - which showed the Eames chair in a variety of unlikely locales including a hay field, a Victorian parlour and on the front porch of a house straight out of the America Gothic - focused on the Eames chair’s versatility. It’s that same versatility which explains its continuous place in popular culture - and, in particular, the American popular imagination. The Eames Lounge Chair is comfortable yet smart, stylish yet understated. That’s why it can sit as easily in Frasier’s luxurious Seattle apartment as it can in the TARDIS.
The Eames Lounge Chair has been in continuous production ever since. In America, Herman Miller have continued to turn out units since its premier in 1956, while Vitra have continued to produce it for the American market. It has also inspired replicas, imitations and knock offs of varying quality - particularly in the European market, where “originals” are far more expensive. Some of these are dire to say the least. Spray painted cushions, exposed screws and poor quality materials are amongst the complaints that have come from those who bought cheap, fast buck knock offs. On the other hand, some replica Eames chairs have been hailed as even better than the originals, offering increased versatility and the option to customise the colours of your purchase to fit your tastes and the design of your home or office.
For over 50 years, the Eames Lounge Chair has represented discrete style. Now you’ve come to understand why it’s so popular, maybe it’s time you started paying it a bit more attention.